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Scientific Thinking Performance Task Performance Tasks to Support High School Science Performance Task Title: Quick Find Bookmarks Is ignorance bliss? 1. Overview Essential Question: 2. Teacher Directions What are the moral and/or ethical implications of 3. Student Directions knowledge? 4. Materials for Students a. Stimulus Set of Texts Task Rationale b. Support Scaffolds, such as note- This performance task serves to re-introduce students to taking templates the scientific method as well as to dispel the c. Research Responses misconception that it is a linear, stepwise process. 5. Materials for Teachers Students are asked to determine how knowledge is a. Materials for Entry Event gained and how we decide what to do with that b. Scoring Rubrics knowledge. The goals of this assignment are to: 1) c. Standards and Task knowledge must be acquired through one’s own Specifications personal critique and evaluation, 2) allow students to 6. Appendix: Print-friendly Texts, see that scientific advancement is anything but a linear Notes and Scaffolds process, and 3) have students evaluate the benefits vs. harmful applications of acquired knowledge and how they would affect society. Overview Task Overview Students will first determine how they know what they know and what led them to acquiring their current knowledge. The first part of the process includes an investigation into the scientific method and the development of current atomic theory. The second part requires students to analyze materials demonstrating the pros and cons of nuclear chemistry including nuclear power, nuclear warfare, and nuclear medicine. Students will then choose one of the scientists that developed atomic theory and write a postmortem blog post (or essay) taking a stance on whether the scientist would approve of the advances in nuclear chemistry that have resulted from their contributions to atomic theory. Additional Essential Questions: Course Content: Use with How do we know what we know? All sciences: scientific method/inquiry How was atomic theory modified over time? Chemistry: atomic theory and nuclear Given the advances (good and bad) that chemistry have occurred after each shift in the atomic American History: effects of nuclear war on model, is society better for having this society knowledge? Philosophy: epistemology Entry Event Classroom Activity Scorable Products Students will work in small groups to discuss how we Part 1: Research Outline (2 parts) acquire knowledge. They will read an excerpt from Part 2: Blog post/essay Siddhartha, watch a short video (~3 min) about epistemology, and review some diagrams. They will answer some questions in their group to try to explain the process. Aligned to and Performance Tasks to Support High School Science Student Task: Part 1 (70 min) Student Task: Part 2 (50 min) 1. (20 min) Review the scientific method using Students write the blog post with the help of their a TED Talk about why we should trust outline using appropriate terms, grammar, and scientists conventions. 2. (20 min) Research the development of atomic theory 3. (10 min) Research advances in nuclear chemistry 4. (20 min) Students will complete an outline for their position, including which scientist they are writing as, their argument, and the evidence they intend to use. Teacher Directions Entry Event Classroom Activity (20 min) 1. Read, post, project, or distribute one (or all) of the quotes (acquired from BrainyQuotes) and ask them to quietly reflect on their meaning and implications. 2. After a moment of reflection invite students to share if they agree or disagree with the quote(s). 3. Distribute the excerpt from Siddhartha and either project or provide the link or technology for students to view the YouTube video about epistemology. 4. After reviewing the materials (~10 min), have students attempt to answer the question in small groups: How do we acquire knowledge? Students can go around their group taking one minute each to provide their answer while the other group members listen. They can then take an additional minute or two to discuss their responses and come up with a group explanation to share with the class. 5. Invite the groups to share their ideas with the class if time permits. Emphasize that knowledge is acquired through a variety of means and as more knowledge is acquired it can cause us to modify or adapt what we know. 6. Distribute or project the diagrams provided of the scientific method, etc. Ask students to look for similarities and differences between the diagrams. Be sure to emphasize that, except for the 6-step list, they all involve repeating some steps or parts and that these are not really linear processes. 7. After sharing, distribute or project the cartoon about the public’s perception of science to emphasize that acquiring knowledge is a convoluted process. Part 1 (70 min) Students should receive the sources, directions, questions, report assignment, and any other material related to the task. They should receive the constructed-response questions in Part 1 and the blogging assignment in Part 2. Part 1 would probably be broken up into the research portion on the first day and the outlining/organizing portion on the next day. Part 1a (Atomic Theory research session, 40 min) 1. Initiate the research session. 2. Pass out the note-taking guide, reminding the students that its use is optional and unscored. 3. Project or provide the link or technology for students to view the TED Talk: “Why we should believe in science” (20 min) 4. Alert the students when there are 15 minutes remaining in this part of the research session. 5. Alert the students when there are 5 minutes remaining in this part of the research session. Aligned to and Performance Tasks to Support High School Science Part 1b (Nuclear Chemistry research session, 10 min) 6. Have students move to the second part of the research session 7. Alert the students when there are 5 minutes remaining in class. 8. Have students write their names on any notes. Collect all student notes. 9. Close the research session. Part 1c (planning session, 20 min) 10. Distribute the outlines and return the student note-taking guides from the previous day, if applicable. 11. Allow students to access the sources and their note-taking guides to complete their outline. Remind students when they have 5 min left to plan. Students should be prepared to access only their notes and outline for Part 2. Part 2 (50 min) 1. Initiate the performance task Part 2. 2. Allow students to access their notes and their outline from Part 1. Distribute the blog post guidelines and allow students a few minutes to review the requirements. 3. Once 5 minutes have elapsed, suggest students begin writing their post. 4. Alert the students when 30 minutes remain. 5. Alert students when 15 minutes remain and suggest they begin revising their posts. 6. Close the testing session. Aligned to and Performance Tasks to Support High School Science Is Ignorance Bliss? --- Student Directions Part 1 Your Assignment How is scientific knowledge acquired? What are the implications of that knowledge which has been gained? You will investigate how our knowledge about atomic structure has evolved over time and how scientific advancements as a result of understanding the atom have affected society. You will analyze the pros and cons of these advancements and take a stance on whether knowledge about atomic structure has been more of a benefit to society or caused more of a threat or harm. Your Task You will assume the identity of one of the major atomic theory scientists (even if they are dead) and write a blog post expressing their opinion regarding how society has used its current knowledge about atoms. Steps to Follow In order to plan and compose your report, you will do all of the following: 1. Review and evaluate the sources provided on the pros and cons of your topic. 2. Make notes about the information from the sources. You have been provided with and are encouraged to use a note-taking guide that will help you gather and process your findings. 3. Answer the questions about the sources. Aligned to and Performance Tasks to Support High School Science Research Outline (Scored Product) After you have reviewed the sources, answer the questions below. Your answers to these questions will be scored. Also, they will help you think about the sources you have read and viewed, which should help you write your report. Answer the questions in the spaces provided below each question. Part 1a A. How was atomic theory modified over time? Describe how our “picture” of the atom changed as new discoveries were made. B. Which contributor to atomic theory do you find the most interesting and why. (You MUST choose!) Part 1b C. From the sources you have reviewed, summarize 3 major arguments that support and 3 major arguments that oppose society has used its knowledge of atomic structure wisely. For each of the arguments, cite at least one source that supports that point of view. Argument / Fact in Favor of society’s wise use Source Supporting This Argument of atomic theory/nuclear chemistry 1. 2. 3. Argument / Fact in Opposition to society’s wise Source Supporting This Argument use of atomic theory/nuclear chemistry 1. 2. 3. D. Evaluate the credibility of the arguments and evidence presented by these sources. Which of the sources are more trustworthy and why? Which of the sources warrant some skepticism because of bias or insufficient evidence? Aligned to and Performance Tasks to Support High School Science Is Ignorance Bliss? --- Student Directions Part 2 Your Assignment Writing as if you are the scientist (and assuming that he/she is aware of the future implications of atomic theory) that you indicated in Part 1 , compose a blog post to tell the world how you feel about society’s use of its knowledge about atomic structure.
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